Talk:Handguns/@comment-27281793-20151209220436/@comment-142.113.229.148-20151210213412
Most .50 caliber handguns (chambering cartridges like 50AE, .500S&W, and even the .50BMG in one case) also have relatively monstrous recoil. This means that it takes an appreciably greater amount of time to reset for a follow-up shot chasing one that was improprerly placed, shift fire to another threat, or simply dole out accurate hammered pairs on a single target. The weapons that fire these cartridges are also both bulkier and heavier than other handguns, necessary in order to safely fire these larger, more powerful cartridges. This means that they're far more obvious when carried, which presents problems if the operator is trying to keep the weapon concealed. Perhaps a bigger concern is that they would take up a greater amount of workspace on a vest or other kind of load-bearing equipment. If worn in a thigh rig, they'd also tend to flop around on the leg. It'd get tiring a lot more quickly with one of your legs continuously fighting with the weight of a handgun that weighs as much as some extremely lightweight race guns bouncing around on your leg. More important than both of these concerns, though, is probably the additional time it would take to draw and present such a weapon onto target. Magazine and cylinder capacity is another important issue in selecting a handgun. Unless the shooter is extremely proficient, and trained in delivering fire from a handgun in stressful scenarios, and experienced in handling these difficult-to-use weapons in a live environment, it's far more than likely that they'll end up misplacing a great deal of the fire they put out. In practical terms, this means that a non-proficient shooter is going to go through a lot more ammunition than someone who is more skilled. A deep magazine is going to be a greater asset to a less proficient shooter than a harder-hitting cartridge, and will also see less frequent dry reloads. There's also the not-so-insignificant concern regarding how much ammunition can practically be carried, and how easily this can be done. This writes off revolvers almost out of hand, due to how bulky speedloaders can be, and how irregularly they're shaped. Looking at large-bore semiautomatics, you run into a different problem, but one that's just as severe: the magazines (we'll use a Desert Eagle chambered in .50AE as an example), while roughly equal in size to any other handgun magazine, holds less than half the number of cartridges than more servicable combat handguns. One of the biggest problems, though, with large-bore handguns - ignoring the fact that they're largely designed for hunting, acting as a stopping weapon for large, dangerous animals, or long-range target shooting - is that they simply don't add anything to a shooter's toolbag that a more practical sidearm does. Even in a best case scenario, where every shot from one of these oversized handguns struck the intended target in the head, a smaller cartridge is going to do the same job of destroying the brain or spine. A large cartridge doesn't remove the necessity of careful aiming, and carries a host of disadvantages along with the lack of any appreciable benefit.